Beidges



(No Model.)

' J. PRIEST.

VEHICLE SPRING.

Patented Apr. 11, 1882;

UNITED STATES.

PATE T Farce.

.JORAM PRIEST, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO APPLETON S.

' BRIDGES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,161, dated April 11, 1882,

Application filed December 23, 1881.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, JORAM PRIEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Springs, of which the following is a specification.

fastened to the under part of the body in any ordinary way, or it may be mortised into the side sills of the body, and thus become a part of it. To this the springs are attached at their respective ends, and upon the under side of it the springs rest and have a hearing at the crown or apex of the center curve.

A A are two doubleactin g springs, made of one or moreleaves curved down ward in a gentle eurve'at or near their respective centers and curved upward at each of their respective ends. This latter curving, however, is not absolutely necessary to the complete working and utility of my spring. The springs are then connected at one end to the under part of the cross-bar B, and the apex of the center curve is allowed to rest upon the under side of said crossbar from the apex of the center curve to the point tached to the bottom for the-fulcrums to slide 100 B, where they may or may not be attached in any ordinary way. In the drawings they are represented as attached by a com mon T-shaped clamp, J, passing up through the cross-bar B. The respective corresponding ends of the springs are attached to the cross-bar B by togglesff, but may be attached in any ordinary manner. I

d at are the sectional views of the side bars of the vehicle, to which springs are attached.

By this construction of the springs I secure the double action of the spring. Thus when the spring is bent up at the side bars, cl d, it has a tendency to press downward at the point f. This gives a downward action to the spring (No model.)

where it is attached to the cross-bar at f, and an upward motion from the apex or crown of the spring to the point d, where it is attached to the side bar. This movement, which is different from every other cross-bar spring, secures me the entire length of spring from the point to which it is attached to the cross-bar B to the point towhich it is attached to the side bar, 61, and when the two are combined as shown in the drawingsthat is, put side by side and crossing over, as shown in the drawings---it gives the spring motion from side bar to side bar, thus securing all the elasticity of a long spring, with all the strength of several short springs; but the manner of constructing the springs and attaching them to the body and side bars, so as to get a double-acting semielliptic spring, and at the same time lower the body down as in other side-bar springs, is what I claim as the patentable feature of myinvention. springs lengthwise, crosswise, or diagonally across the body.

I am aware thatit is old to provide the body of a vehicle with springs attached to the bottom thereof equidistant from the side and projecting in opposite direction, and having one of the curves of each spring attached at or near the point where the end of its mate is attached; but this form differs from mine in that it requires a plate having lugs, which are liable to snap from a sudden jolt, and several bolts-to hold the parts together. One of the bolts is also inserted through the body of the spring, which is thereby weakened, whereas in mine the springs are made to lap by means of a curve at or near the center, and are held in place by a T-bolt, thus dispensing'with the holes and forming a strong elastic support for the body. The weight is also more evenly distributed upon the springs, thus preventing the jolting and tilting that a body which is only supported at the sides is subject to.

I am also aware that it is not new to provide vehicles with springs attached" to the body by means of adjustable fnlcrums or rests, whereby the elasticity of the. springs may be adjusted to suit different loads. This device differs from mine inthat a rod must be at- This can be secured whether I run my 2. In a vehicle, the combination, with the body and frame, of curved springs arranged in pairs, projecting in opposite directions, and having their respective ends attached. to the body and frame and their curve loosely attach ed to the center of the bottom of the body, forming a movable fulcrum, which automatically adjusts itself. to the variant conditions of the body.

J ORAM PRIEST. Witnesses:

AUGUST KURUZEL, WM. M. EooLEs, FRED GUENTHER. 

